Caitlin Devitt

Bond insurer Financial Guaranty Insurance Co. asked the federal court to delay the Detroit bankruptcy trial for at least a week to give it time to prepare new legal strategy in light of the city's proposed settlement with Syncora Guarantee Inc.

Ohio Auditor David Yost last week testified before the Government Accounting Standards Board that asking local governments to disclose their retiree health care liability would exaggerate the amount of debt of Ohio municipalities.

Flint, in many ways a mini-Detroit, is likely to avoid bankruptcy amid improving financial conditions unless it loses a court battle over its effort to cut retiree health care costs, Moody's Investors Service says in a new report.

Syncora Guarantee Inc. is pushing back against widely reported claims that it is receiving 26 cents on the dollar in its tentative settlement with Detroit, saying the actual recovery is “much lower than reported.”

Detroit's chief bankruptcy mediator ordered FGIC, the last holdout creditor, into talks with the city and Syncora Guarantee Inc. and other major creditors on Friday to try to resolve a dispute over $1.5 billion of certificates of participation.

Detroit and Syncora Guarantee Inc. will spend the next few days working to finalize a major agreement that would speed up the bankruptcy, but important questions remain in the case, muni market experts said.

Detroit's historic bankruptcy case saw a major breakthrough late Tuesday when the city and its strongest opponent, bond insurer Syncora Guarantee, announced they had reached an agreement in principal.

Two-term Indiana Treasurer Richard Mourdock resigned four months before the end of his term, prompting Gov. Mike Pence to appoint long-time public finance figure Dan Huge as interim replacement.

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan said emergency manager Keyvn Orr will likely serve as a consultant to the city's bankruptcy after his tenure as emergency manager expires at the end of the month.

Detroit has reached a deal to spin its troubled Water and Sewerage Department to a new regional authority, that allows up to $800 million of new money bonds for capital improvements to assets located in the city limits.

Detroit entered the second week of the confirmation trial for its bankruptcy exit plan Monday, calling witnesses who testified to the city's desperate need for the $1.5 billion of capital investments featured in the plan.

An affordable-housing project for elderly renters near Dayton, Ohio marks the first use of Freddie Mac's new direct purchase tax-exempt note program that allows borrowers to privately place their debt with Freddie.

Detroit's first witness in its bankruptcy trial, CFO John Hill, testified that the city's confirmation plan would mean more money for the struggling city but that meeting some of the revenue targets could be difficult.

Three Detroit hospitals announced that they have closed a merger that creates a $3.8 billion system that's the largest health care provider in southeast Michigan.

The three counties around Detroit objected to the city's bankruptcy exit plan, arguing that the proposed treatment of the massive Detroit Water and Sewerage Department would spell catastrophe for the aging system.

Under questioning from the federal judge overseeing Detroit's bankruptcy, bond insurer Syncora Guarantee Inc. said it would settle a year-long battle with the city for 75 cents on the dollar.

Detroit's attorneys launched opening statements on the first day of a historic trial on the city's bankruptcy exit plan, arguing that the city may not survive without the debt adjustment plan and defending a deal to raise money backed by the art collection.

Barring any last-minute settlements with bond insurers, Detroit will begin defending its plan to restructure debt and begin to rebuild the battered city.

Detroit will refinance a chunk of its water and sewer debt as part of a tender offer settlement with bondholders.

Michigan deputy treasurer Wayne Workman, who joined the state last year after a long stint as its financial advisor at Robert W. Baird & Co., has been appointed interim director of the state housing authority.